Shinigami
by MattMC3
Summary: Naruto a shinobi who comes to light in the Chunin Exams set during turbulent times! Known as an unknown shinobi without a village. Revelations come with his matches but there is still so much about this blonde that is not known. How can and will he shape the Shinobi World?


**Disclaimer: **Nothing about Naruto in the text below belongs to me nor does anything else that has a copyright to its name. Now that that's out of the way we can get on to the story and its first chapter.

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><p><strong>Things to know before reading:<strong>

1.) This story begins before the Third Shinobi World War and at the Chunin Exams being held in Tetsu no Kuni.

2.) Rei is the Son of the Third Raikage. (Not named Ay yet because that is a name given to the Raikage)

3.) Rasa Sabaku is the man who eventually becomes Gaara's dad.

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><p>Shinigami<p>

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><p><strong>Bracket One:<strong>

**Hiashi Hyuga vs. Hizashi Hyuga**

**Rasa Sabaku vs. Shikaku Nara**

**Bracket Two:**

**Rei vs. Kitsuchi**

**Minato Namikaze vs. Baki**

**Bracket Three:**

**Naruto vs. Aozora Kaguya**

**Han vs. Mangetsu Hozuki**

**Bracket Four:**

**Miya Hattori vs. Kushina Uzumaki**

**Sanda Yan vs. Mikoto Uchiha**

An elderly looking man strolled out the front of the two row porch that looked out over the rocky filed that would act as the stage for the majority of the combat for these exams. The man's long brown hair showed signs of graying as it fell down from a head wrapping that looked just as much clothing as it did some form of bandage. There were distinct wrinkles starting to etch themselves under his black eyes along with the graying goatee completed the look of the aged samurai that the Commander of Tetsu no Kuni. Dressed in the traditional samurai garb with four plates coming from the waist to protect his legs with matching plates guarding his shoulders the Samurai, Mifune kept his sword the _Kurosawa_ hanging at ready on his hip.

"Thank you all for coming here today to witness the youth of this generation taking part in a competition on the worldwide scale to show just how far they have come during their careers as a Genin whether it be a short or extensive career. They have come here to Tetsu no Kuni where the best of the best had risen to the top." Mifune spoke in a way that showed charisma and force, a tone that had the attention of most and the respect of even more. It was something that caught the attention of most of the Genin who had never encountered a Samurai before.

"It is these talents that were displayed during the first two stages of these Chunin Exams that brought you the Genin standing here before you. I can assure you that these fights will be full of thrills and suspense but remember these are real world battles that could end with finality so if there are any people here that may not be able to handle death or don't want to expose your family to such things then please leave now before the exams begin." Mifune stood there and looked out into the crowds that were looking around for others who might want to leave. And those who might have left stayed, because they didn't think that it would get to that point despite the warnings that their host had issued.

After he had determined that he had allowed an appropriate amount of time to pass so that those watching could make a descision Mifune turned around and nodded to the man standing behind his chair for the festivities. The bald man with the scar over his eye forever keeping it closed left the man's one, violet eye open with a shrewd sense of awareness. Okisuke, the Samurai Leader's bodyguard sent a nod down to the proctor of the third and final stage Urakaku, another of Mifune's guards who took the role of proctor. Gracefully the Samurai retook his position amongst his guests.

"Not a man of many words are we now Mifune-dono?" A man with a cool green eyes and spiky black hair asked from his spot beside the Samurai. Adorning himself in the green and white robes of the Kazekage but he left the threshold of the robes open showing the black, cloth shirt and chainmail being hidden underneath the shirt. This man was touted as the strongest Kazekage in _Sunagakure's_ history, Ri. The man wielded the weapon known as Iron Sand something that he could manipulate due to the magnetic nature of his chakra which he could also use to manipulate anything metal.

Mifune glanced sideways towards the Kazekage but showed no outward reaction be it positive or negative to the young Kazekage's words. After a moment of silence Mifune nodded his head curtly. "Yes… after all a man can only be judged by what he has done in his life. What his actions have brought to the world."

A bulky, imposing man at the end of the row of chairs gave something of a grunt of approval to the words of the Samurai Commander. His massive head of blonde hair spiked out wildly as it fell down from the yellow and white cap that he wore. The Raikage, Ay, the current and Third Raikage of Kumogakure. His village consisted of Raiton users with few bloodlines which lead to the belief that they were the ones who produced the most skilled, manufactured shinobi and not those born skilled. This was a domestic belief of course.

Ay was a man with a physical vitality that could only be rivaled by the late Uzumaki Clan. It was said that his body was able to withstand even sword slashes from the sharpest of blades, not only that but his lightning manipulation was the most powerful of any shinobi to pass through the Hidden Cloud. It was these factors alone that allowed the Sandaime Raikage to go one on one against the Eight Tailed Ox, one of the Biju given to the Village Hidden in the Clouds by the Shodai Hokage, Hashirama Senju. "Hmph, I don't think I could have said it any better myself Mifune-dono."

In the seating arrangement from left to right it went as follows: The Raikage, The Mizukage, Mifune, The Hokage and then The Tsuchikage. From his seat three chairs away the Hokage narrowed his eyes at the bulky man from _Kaminari no Kuni_ along with his guard who was watching diligently from behind him. This shinobi was currently known as the _Kami no Shinobi_ a title that was only given to Hashirama Senju, this man is the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. Idly his hand went up to his brown goatee and stroked it an effort to hide the anger that naturally welled up at seeing the Third Raikage because it was that man along with his Kinkaku force that killed his Sensei, the Nidaime Hokage. A sentiment shared by the guard of the Hokage and a teammate of Hiruzen's, Danzo Shimura.

"I don't find it surprising that you'd believe in using brute strength Raikage-dono. I find it fitting for such a man like yourself." Hiruzen spoke out doing well to hide his distaste under a tone of civility and politeness despite the clear jab at the larger man, which he ignored with another grunt. "With that said I do believe that negotiating and coming up with terms that could create a lasting peace would be far more pivotal than any action on any battlefield could." Hiruzen added leaving the booth of leaders in silence as each took Hiruzen's words to their own ideals and only the Kazekage and Mifune nodded in agreement.

A short, gnomish man who appeared to be a handful of years older than Hiruzen, maybe three or four gave an amused snort of amusement. The balding, short Kage was dressed in the brown and white robes assigned to the Kage of the Village Hidden in the Stone, the Tsuchikage. The relationship between Hiruzen and Onoki was one of a friendly rivalry that started many years ago at a Chunin Exams not much different than these. "It seems like you are as much a philosopher as you were back in our young Genin days huh Hiruzen? But then again what should I expect from the man they call _The Professor_."

Despite being rivals Hiruzen simply laughed at what could have been called a slight at his nature as a person… something that not all Kages would take, the example being the Raikage to their opposite. As the two Kages traded barbs the Kazekage who was the youngest of the Kage gathered looked over to the empty seat that belonged to the Mizukage. "I wonder where the Mizukage is. He even has two Genin to reach it to the final stage yet he is not here…"

Hearing the musings of the Kazekage Onoki glanced over to the empty seat and offered a very helpless shrug of his small shoulders. "Mu-sama always told me of how eccentric the Nidaime Mizukage was… Maybe something else took his attention away from this? Like his Giant Clam?" Ay of course snorted in amusement since he had met the Mizukage a few times in meetings and even calling him eccentric seemed to be understating just how off kilter that man was. The man was simply a few kunai short of a full set.

Onoki knew that back before the end of the Second Shinobi World War his predecessor Mu and the Second Mizukage had engaged in a battle that left both mortally wounded and before Mu had passed away he informed Onoki that the Second Mizukage would share the same fate as him but with the lack of information escaping from _Kirigakure_ it was hard to say just what happened to the Nidaime Mizukage.

Though he was sure there was a Sandaime Mizukage by now…

Mifune cleared his throat bringing the attention that was being scattered about a few different matters and thoughts back to him where he gestured down to the field where the first match had begun since his proctor was short with words and started the match without them even realizing it.

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><p><em>Combat Arena<em>

In the middle of the field stood the two Konoha shinobi, both of them with pale skin, pale pupiless eyes and flowing brown hair falling over modified combat robes as they stood there regarding each other. Simultaneously both Hyuga clan members closed their eyes and when they opened them again their Kekkei Genkai roared to life, the _Byakugan_. Though there was something even more noticeable than their bulging eyes and that was the fact that the two were twins. Once their Bloodline Limits were turned on, both shinobi of the Hyuga Clan fell into their signature style the Juken with neither shinobi saying a word and ready to do battle.

Hiashi surged forward first, throwing opened handed blows at his brother who was more than capable of swaying out of the way of the blows as they came in since he was well versed in the same base style. Hizashi waited calmly for the next strike which was once again evaded with ease before he tried to strike his brother in the solar plexus with his own open handed strike but before the blow could meet its target Hiashi slapped his brother's wrist off target and lashed outward. The motion was easily foreseen by Hizashi and he acted preventively by leaping backwards and out of the reach of his brother's strike.

Despite the intensity behind each of their strikes not a single one had landed and neither brother looked winded from the quick flurry that signaled the start of their fight. Hiashi stood there just as regally as he did before the quick Taijutsu exchange had begun, his robes straight and proper like a true Clan Head. "I do not know why you are bothering to go through with this fight Hizashi. As a member of the Main House you will always be fated to lose to me because you are a member of the Branch House and will be inferior."

Even in the face such harsh words raining down on him from his brother of all people Hizashi smiled and waited patiently until Hiashi was done speaking. Both brothers knew what happened on the night of their birth and both knew that Hiashi was only in line to become Clan Head because he was born just a minute before Hizashi, some could call it fate like Hiashi but personally Hizashi saw his future as something he could forge with his own two hands _Caged Bird Seal_ or not. It did not matter in the eyes of Hizashi who was Main or who was Branch because they were all Hyuga, one of the Noble Clans of Konoha but like always there were those who saw his perspective as a way to avoid being labeled as a Branch Member.

"Say what you want my Brother but it is my job not as a Branch Member but as your brother to test you and make sure that you are a worthy heir for the Hyuga Clan! Prepare yourself my Brother!" Hizashi exclaimed his voice full of resolve and his eyes showing nothing but kindness paired with the desire to see his family at its best. With his piece said the Hyuga with the curse seal leaped forward and aimed blow after blow at his brother that was returned by his elder brother with ease, the small wisps of blue chakra fleeing from their strikes showing they were meant to disable the tenketsu in the body, a key feature in the Juken fighting style.

The civilian section of the crowd all stared down at the field with awe and a rapt attention as it appeared that the two twins were engaged in some form of elegant, traditional dance at how their feet slid back and forth between the space allotted after each strike, the momentum and precision of the _Byakugan _pivotal to each strike. However, it was because of their shared fighting style that neither was gaining any ground on the other despite how thrilling of an exchange it was. The keener eyes in the stadium had seen the larger burst of chakra that Hiashi expelled when he aimed a strike to his Brother's heart, a blow that was easily knocked off course and made useless before it could strike a fatal blow.

Frowning Hiashi leapt backwards and brought a swift end to the confrontation between he and his Brother, a confrontation that Hizashi didn't seem to want to continue if his lack of movement was any indication. The silent stare down between the two Byakugan wielders continued on for what seemed to be an eternity before Hiashi spoke. "Why do you seek to continue this exercise in futility? I am the one who be next to lead the clan into greatness that we the Main House deserve while you are a simple servant… you will lose so why bother trying when the result has already been fated by the Gods?"

The condemning, depressing words of the Hyuga air spread throughout the field, the wind being the tool that carried his belief through the cool air of _Tetsu no Kuni_. No one on the field even twitched at the cutting words leaving the crowd to watch on in an uncomfortable silence. Eventually the silence was shattered by the words spoken by the shinobi with the Caged Bird Seal and a small smile. "This is not about me winning or losing this is about testing you my brother can't you see th-"

"Enough! I have had enough of your useless drabble!" Hiashi hissed out vehemently before his basic stance had been altered slightly so that his legs maintained a slightly larger base. Seeing the change in his brother Hizashi frowned before following suit.

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><p><em>In the Stands<em>

"Hiashi assured me that facing his brother wouldn't affect his mindset but here we are not even fifteen minutes into the fight and he has already lost his cool." Hiru sighed while rubbing at the bridge of his nose in a clearly exasperated fashion. His black eyes gazed down at his two students before he took a cigarette and placed it between his lips and lighting up the harmful tobacco product. The Konoha Jounin combed his free hand through the brown, shortly-cut locks of hair resting atop his scalp. This man was Hiru Sarutobi an A Ranked Shinobi, cousin to the current Hokage and the Sensei of the two Hyuga battling down below.

The bearded Jounin of the Sarutobi clan turned his head to the left when he felt someone patting him on the shoulder and what he saw one of his comrades of the famous Sakumo Hatake. This man was renowned across the world as the _Konoha no Shiroi Kiba_ (The White Fang of the Hidden Leaf) a title he had earned in the last Shinobi World War where they only others to gain such fame were the Sannin themselves. "Try not to worry about it too much Hiru-kun, after all they are still young and irrational maybe settling things with their fists is the best way for them to move past these issues, especially young Hiashi."

An amused scoff came from the seat to Hiru's right where a kunoichi with the Konoha hitai-ate fastened around her forehead sat. Despite the presence of the blue fabric of the hitai-ate it did little to take attention away from the brown hair that fell just past her shoulders that was braided into a single, elegant ponytail. When the Hidden Leaf Jounin's eyes opened they showed to be brilliant jade irises, her outfit consisted of the standard garb that was assigned to a shinobi of her station inside of Konoha. Her name… well her name is Shay Kurama, a kunoichi of the shinobi clan with an ungodly affinity for the art of Genjutsu and as well she was the Sensei of Shikaku. "Of course you'd say that Sakumo-san. You do have Little Miss Hothead and then the refined Uchiha heiress, who are both the best of friends. Not to mention that girl from the Inuzuka clan who couldn't hurt a fly."

Both of Sakumo's eyes closed and let his face twist into a pleasant smile since he didn't find it necessary to dispute the truth when it came to Kushina, Mikoto, and Yari. He truly couldn't ask for a better team… even if they were all kunoichi which was something that rarely happened. Thankfully the White Fang was spared from giving an answer when the voice of one of Shay's students saved him. "Oh and we _are_ difficult Shay-sensei?" The inquiry came from Inoichi Yamanaka the heir of the Mind Walker clan of Konoha, a sentiment shared by Choza Akimichi who was an heir in his own right.

A small blush of embarrassment crawled across the cheeks of the female Kurama because the Ina-Shika-Cho trio was well known since the founding of Konoha as having perhaps the best teamwork between any groups of three shinobi no matter who took that combination… so in truth she had little to complain about. "Seriously Inoichi, you are supposed to have my back here! Not throw me to the wolves, sheesh." Shay's indignant cry brought laughter to the group and caused her blush to darken a few shades more.

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><p><em>Combat Arena<em>

'Eight Trigrams…'

Both shinobi began in their thoughts once their stances had been perfected, each seeing the metaphorical Yin and Yang symbol under their opponent, their brother, before they started to strike. Blow after blow was met with opposing force from the opposite party negating any form of harmful damage that may have occurred from any number of strikes from the two pairs of deft hands. Over the quiet that had hushed the stadium crowd, everyone could hear the solid thud of the hands of the Hyuga meeting in an exchange of beliefs. As the two continued to strikes both of their eyes retained a sense of serenity since they could see all and didn't have to move to see what they wanted to see but if one was to look even closer they could see a sense of confidence hidden deeply in the eyes of Hiashi.

The _Eight Trigrams _branch of techniques was something of a Hidden Jutsu that belonged to the Hyuga clan. Where most clans over the shinobi world would have a Hidden Jutsu that was some form of elemental attack, the Hyuga relied on the ability of their eyes to use the _Eight Trigrams _style to disable the tenketsu of their opponent effectively shutting down their ability to use chakra for a period of time. It was this advantage that had many shinobi from the other villages to state that a Hyuga with fully matured eyes was more dangerous by leaps and bounds than the feared Uchiha in a Taijutsu battle.

"…Thirty two palms!" Hizashi cried out as his rotation slowly came to an end when his thirty two quick strikes met his brother's in a stalemate. The technique was designed so that he could hit and shut down half of the chakra points in the human body and as such making it impossible for the target to access their chakra but since both Hyuga had struck at the same time the technique was made useless just like everything else in the fight up to this point. Thinking that the exchange had come to an end after thirty two strikes the younger brother allowed for his guard to drop since he thought it was safe to do so.

However, the Byakugan infused eyes of the Branch shinobi widened when Hiashi didn't stop and continued to strike at his body unopposed. Hizashi stumbled back a few steps when the first few blows landed but after that his shoulders simply slumped as blue wisps of energy escaped from his back marking the spots that Hiashi struck. This continued on an additional thirty two times before Hiashi finally stopped leaving not only a shocked Hizashi but surprised crowd who thought that the stalemate would continue. "Eight Trigrams Sixty Four Palms!" Hiashi roared out showing that his technique had an additional step that his brother simply did not possess.

When Hiashi finally did stop his onslaught he had managed to shut down half of Hizashi's chakra network as well as deal some debilitating damage to his blood relative. Hizashi stood on wobbly feet with blood dripping from the corner of his mouth and an arm hanging limply at his side showing the damage was basically internal. With his chakra flowing improperly through his body Hizashi was unable to retain a grasp on his Byakugan and stood there staring at his brother with a proud smile on his face not that Hiashi seemed to care about such a thing if the stoic glare he was setting on his brother was any indication.

"This is the difference between us and this is the difference between the House and the Branch and you'd do best to remember that before you challenge me again Hizashi." Hiashi spoke coolly as he let his Byakugan fade to their normal resting phase as he watched his brother fall backwards unflinchingly. Both the proctor and the soon to be named victor watched in silence as Hizashi hit the ground laboring for breath as he worked in a state of half-functionality. The jarring impact with the ground caused Hizashi to cough up some blood that stained both his chin and his robes leaving the defeated Hyuga with a coppery taste lingering inside of his mouth.

Urakaku looked to the downed and defeated Genin before raising his right hand into the air and bringing it down pointing in the direction of Hiashi. "Winner of the first match of Bracket One by knockout is Hiashi Hyuga." The samurai's stern proclamation brought a round of applause to rain down from the stands, the people clearly happy to see such a wonderful first match. Hiashi of course remained emotionless as he turned and walked back to the Contestant Booth as his brother was brought to the medical ward for treatment.

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><p><em>Contestant Booth<em>

A young man standing at the railing with his arms crossed, unintentionally showing off some of his fledgling muscles that were highlighted due to his sleeveless top hummed as he watched Hiashi slowly make his way to the staircase that would bring him back to the booth before looking to the opposite wall where Hizashi was being taken to. The Genin in the brown top with an _Iwagakure _headband spoke aloud more just to break the silence that had filled the booth due to the distraction of the fight. "Those Hyuga don't seem to get along do they? I guess even in Konoha there is not love all around, though that is not something that is to be expected I guess."

The gruff voice of Kitsuchi, the Tsuchikage's son reached the ears of his fellow Genin although his voice was a bit deeper than the others showing signs of the future to be sure for the young thirteen year old. There was no answer from the Konoha shinobi filling the booth since they saw it as something as insult to their home but there were a few nods from others in the booth. One from a boy with white hair and a sleeveless top of his own only the boy's was violet much like his eyes and white bandages covering his chest that would have been exposed by the top of his choice. This _Kirigakure _Genin was known as Mangetsu Hozuki, shinobi of great talent and being spoken highly of in the Hidden Mist.

The second nod came from a boy wearing a black long sleeve shirt and head wrapping that left a white veil to fall over one side of his slightly tanned face while his other eye was exposed showing the two darker tattoos that came from his cheek and spread towards his eye but curled off shortly before they reached his eye. This Genin was to be called Baki a shinobi with the rare Wind affinity, and a talent for Kenjutsu. It was this shinobi that Kitsuchi turned to since he was the one he was standing next to. "Tell me Sand Shinobi will your teammate be sending that Konoha shinobi in the Hospital Ward some company?"

The Genin from the Land of Wind said nothing at first instead choosing to look out towards the black haired and surprisingly yawning Konoha shinobi that had taken the field. His eyes did momentarily narrow on the Konoha shadow manipulator but nonetheless he voiced his confidence in his teammate. "Rasa is not only the strongest Genin in our village he is just as smart as any of the prodigies that people claim to be. He does not only rely on his power, he is a very studious person who does not like surprises. That Nara will find himself in for a rude awakening."

Everyone in the booth said nothing since the match had just been started and they would be seeing just how truthful that proclamation would be in a few minutes.

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><p><em>Combat Arena<em>

Rasa stood there regarding Shikaku with the upmost seriousness in his otherwise lifeless black eyes. The Suna Nin's auburn hair jutted out in random directions but all in all his hair seemed to be contained to the perimeter of his scalp. Clearly confident in his abilities he chose to wear a black cloth shirt and pants with a chain mesh under his shirt or perhaps he didn't like to be confined by the restrictions that heavier clothing burdened people with. He stood there with his arms crossed regarding his opponent with a disapproving glare that did little to dissuade the genetically lazy shinobi from Konoha's Nara clan.

Shikaku was dressed almost in the exact same way that his opponent from _Kaze no Kuni_ was except for the fact that his pants were navy blue and not black but other than that his clothing was spot on with Rasa's. Despite the similarities in their chosen apparel the differences in their mannerisms couldn't be further apart. Unlike his opponent, the best word to describe Shikaku's attitude towards his first round bout would be lethargic. Yawning, the young Nara even went about cleaning out his ear with his pinkie earning him around of sweat drops from those in the crowd who were watching him. The only two people to see his actions as amusing were his two teammates and best friends.

"Shikaku Nara…" The stiff but attention grabbing tone that was used by the Suna Genin was enough to bring the eyes of the aforementioned Genin to Rasa even the impassive glimmer in his eyes became much sharper for a split moment something that was noted by the Suna shinobi. "I have read over your background and I am well aware of the multiple statements that you have made regarding your lack of desire to compete here. Now is the only chance that I will give you to forfeit before I crush you without prejudice and without mercy. Do you yield Shikaku Nara?"

Muttering a quiet troublesome Shikaku stood a bit straighter but did not remove his hands from his pockets despite having already been put into the middle of a match. "Do you really need to be so dramatic? I would love to quit here and now but if I do that Yoshino would kill me when I get back to Konoha and I still have plenty of clouds to watch so I guess you have yourself a match." Slowly his impassive, aloof outer shell underwent a transformation into a much more alert and dangerous shinobi. Rasa nodded slowly seemingly undisturbed by the shift in demeanor of his opponent.

Just as the Nara's hands had made their way out of his pockets Rasa put his hand into his shirt like he was reaching for something. In a quick, blurring motion Rasa had tossed a few pellets at Shikaku which he diagnosed them to be smoke bombs. He cried out in surprise when both pellets released small flash bangs that had the young Nara trying to wipe his vision clean with the back of his hands. Rasa quickly raced in from Shikaku's left with a kunai in hand and aimed to stab the blinded Nara through the jugular, bringing the match to a swift end.

Thankfully for the resident of the Land of Fire his hearing had been heightened without his vision to aid him and allowed him to pull off a Substitution Jutsu with one of the many larger rocks on the mountainous field under their feet. Rasa frowned when he felt his kunai struggling to cut into the strong granite instead of easily slicing through flesh. Happening to look over his right shoulder the aggressor leapt back and away from the shadow that was crawling towards him from behind him. Shikaku saw this his attempt was going to get him nowhere and called back his shadow before his opponent could assess his technique and dissect it.

'Sneaky bastard knew that smoke would leave him blind also and he didn't want to risk me catching him because of that so he used those flash bangs…' The Nara genius was easily able to conclude as he opened his second eye ignoring the few blinding spots that would appear in his field of vision intermittently. Reaching into the pouch hanging on his hip Shikaku came back up with a handful of deep, black shuriken. 'Gotta thank the old man for actually making me learn something more than the basics…' Shikaku added in thought with a small smile as his arm tensed slightly in preparation for his toss.

"**Kage Shuriken no Jutsu… (Shadow Shuriken Technique…)"** Shikaku watched with an almost unnoticeable smile as the four shuriken he threw turned into twelve spinning stars as one shuriken appeared under and on top of the shuriken he had tossed. The black haired shinobi smirked when he saw his opponent staring at the wave of spinning stars with a startled expression since the attack had not split until it was only a few feet from him. Shikaku's smile faded when instead of becoming a human pin cushion the attack went right through the stationary Suna of becoming flustered like many would have the Konoha Nin had already concluded what happened before his attack even hit the stadium wall.

"A Bunshin…" The Nara breathed out his exclamation just as the dull thuds of his shuriken sounded out marking their impact with the stadium enclosure. Turning around Shikaku was greeted by the jerking force of a right hand being delivered by the very person he was looking for. The blow had enough momentum behind it that it sent the Nara boy skidding a few feet away from Rasa who watched impassively. Slowly Shikaku got back to his feet while gently touching his bruised cheek causing him to recoil from the sudden jolt of pain that raced down his body. Satisfied with his evaluation the Nara slowly let his hand fall back to a more normal resting position.

"I am surprised that someone of your supposed intellect couldn't discern a simple Clone from what was real but then again you don't really know what I am truly capable of while your Clan name tells me all that I need to know about you." Rasa gave his scalding evaluation of what he saw was the fault in Shikaku which was hard enough to do with someone so smart but Shikaku knew that his opponent did have a point. He knew next to nothing about the capabilities of the boy hailing from _Sunagakure_.

'He can suppress his Chakra Signature until the moment that he strikes as well? Tsk, if I had known he was coming I could have got him the moment he made contact.' It was true, if the Nara had known he was coming then a _Shadow Possession_ could have been prepared and then the match would have been over and he could go back up top and relax. 'I didn't want to pull out so many of my tricks this early but if I don't I am going to lose… I need more time to think! Gotta keep him talking…'

He slowly dragged his tongue around his lips which was enough to clean off the few driplets of blood that had escaped from the bruised side of his mouth. Despite the pain it caused him Shikaku grinned softly at his stoic but overly serious opponent. "Since you were so ready to point out a few shortcomings of mine allow me to do the same. You had the chance but didn't finish me, why is that? Perhaps you don't have it in you Rasa-san?"

Shikaku was elated to see that his opponent's frown deepened even if he only noticed because he was the vocal point of his focus. The shadow manipulator's eyes narrowed almost in-perceptively when he saw the auburn haired teen open his mouth. 'Got him!' He exclaimed in his mind but at the same time he did that Rasa had slapped an explosive note on to the handle of his kunai before throwing it directly at the crawling shadow where the explosive note started to sizzle in an impending explosion.

_Boom_

The potency of the note knocked a field of dust and small pebbles into the air that only lingered for a few moments that was enough to build anticipation for what was to come next. When everything settled everyone could see that the shadow stopped at the end of the crater, the side near Rasa. His tactic was to create more space for the attack to cross ultimately forcing it to come up short and it worked brilliantly something Shikaku begrudgingly respected. Rasa looked to his crouched opponent who had just released his hand sign and smirked. "That's how far you can reach."

* * *

><p><em>Contestant Booth<em>

Standing up against the railing of the booth with the rest of the remaining Genin was a young shinobi with spiky blonde hair and blue eyes. His facial features were sharp and defined which along with the three whisker scar marks gave the Genin ranked shinobi a rugged look. If one was to compare him with another of the shinobi in the booth it could be said that they appeared to be related. Dressed in an opened, fine white coat that showed off the white undershirt below, the eyes of anyone who looked would be able to see a trail of some form of purple energy roll up from where his coat dropped down over his thighs and black shinobi pants before the depiction curled out and flared into a swirl on the part of where his coat flared out leaving one swirl on each side. Around the blonde's neck was a set of deep purple, prayer beads that hung loosely around his neck. The young teen's name was Naruto and he was the only vagrant shinobi in these exams.

'It was a clever attempt by Nara-san to try and use words to stall Sabaku-san long enough to be captured but Sabaku-san is too smart to be captured by the same move without some form of distraction. If he wants any chance of winning this he will need more techniques like his _Kage Shuriken no Jutsu _to provide enough of a threat if he wants his shadow takeover to get the job done.' Naruto mused to himself since he didn't want to reveal to his competition just how insightful that he could be if it was needed. There was no need to draw attention to himself at least not at this point in his life there was not. Silence was golden.

"Come on Shikaku! If you don't get your ass in gear I am going to kick your ass before Yoshino will even get to you Dattebane!" A lively red head with violet eyes yelled out to the field below with her hands cupping her lips making her already loud shout even louder. The young, yelling kunoichi was Kushina Uzumaki the last know Uzumaki who was currently residing in _Konohagakure_ after the destruction of Uzu and it was clear that in her young age she was loud, brash and easily excitable. Her loud shouts brought the attention of a few non-Konoha shinobi residing in the booth not that she seemed to care.

The young teen beside her standing there with his arms crossed lightly over his chest offered his girlfriend a slight shake of the head though he was wearing a fond smile as he stared at her. His hair was lighter than Naruto's as were his blue eyes. The teen was dressed in a form fitting, long sleeved blue turtle neck that had no noticeable decoration or insignia on it. He wore the standard navy blue shinobi pants and shinobi sandals that were given out in _Konohagakure_. Minato Namikaze, a young orphan who rose up to become the Rookie of the year where he was shortly thereafter put on the team whose Sensei was the legendary Toad Sage, Jiraiya. He was an all around out-of-nowhere prodigy.

On the other side of Kushina was another kunoichi from Konoha but unlike her companion and friend she was much more composed and poised than the loudmouth Uzumaki. The lady had raven black hair and was dressed in a covering kimono that had the Uchiha fan insignia on its back. Her black eyes stared out calmly at the field until she heard her boisterous friend shouting which caused her to hide her face within her pale palm in clear embarrassment. This kunoichi not only belonged to the famed Uchiha clan but was the heiress to the clan Mikoto Uchiha, teammate to Kushina Uzumaki.

Rei who was a fit teenager from _Kumogakure no Sato_ in the _Kaminari no Kuni_ looked over to Minato who he had declared would be his rival back in the first stage and snorted in amusement. Rei was dark skinned and had blonde hair which was quite the common occurrence in the Village Hidden in the Clouds. However where the similarities stopped was in his potential as the son of the current Raikage, which was the separating factor. "Looks like we know who wears the pants in this relationship Namikaze." Rei spoke taking an obvious jab at Minato's naturally agreeable personality when there was no danger present.

The light blue eyes of Minato gazed over to his suddenly proclaimed rival and he slowly shrugged his shoulders more or less giving the other blonde a 'What Can You Do' gesture. Rei nodded slowly even if he didn't know the dangers of women first hand he had heard plenty from his father how there was nothing more dangerous than an angered woman. That was not something he felt ready to test.

While they continued to converse with Kushina continuing to shower her fellow Leaf Nin with support the rest of the booth watched the match intently, especially Hiashi who would be facing the winner in the next round.

* * *

><p><em>Combat Arena<em>

Behind his pursed lips Shikaku had grit his teeth as he stared impassively at his opponent who was doing the same. He was so close to capturing the teen from _Sunagakure_ but close was still not good enough. 'I know I wanted to try and keep some aces up my sleeve but none of that will matter if I lose here! I have to trap him or else I am going to lose and quickly!' There was always a chance that a loss but a strong effort would get him Chunin but more importantly it would keep Yoshino off his back, hopefully.

Again the Nara heir reached into the pouch that was on his hip, a pouch that thankfully was restocked before this round of bouts. His hand came back with at least five kunai that caused Rasa to narrow his eyes at yet another feeble attempt when those black blades came flying at him through the air. Not wanting to take any more risks that could leave the crafty shadow shinobi an opening the Sabaku performed a simple _Substitution_ with a wooden log that was left as a pincushion a few feet behind where Rasa was now presiding. This time there was no expression or thought of making any emotion visible as Shikaku's hand returned to the seal meant to control the _Shadow Imitation Technique_.

Rasa's body tensed in preparation for the upcoming attack when he noticed something from the peripheral view of his eyesight. Soulless eyes widening in a sign of surprise the Suna Genin gazed upon the kunai that Shikaku just threw as one shadowy tendril stretched out towards him from each kunai. Growling out his agitation Rasa tried to leap forward and away from the net of shadows that was trying to ensnare him.

"**Kagemana no Jutsu! (Shadow Imitation Technique!)" **The auburn haired teen's head snapped around glaring at Shikaku who had called forth his own shadow to capture him. He had been baited and he knew it but all that he needed to do was perform the _Body Flicker Technique_ and he would be fine. That was when the teen lost his balance, one of the kunai tendrils had snaked around his ankle and threw him towards the ground. On instinct his body released a light groan when he came in contact with the unforgiving ground. Stumbling a bit Rasa got back to his feet only to realize that his standing was not something he did of his own free will.

Shikaku stood up which was what prompted Rasa to do the same but even with an impassive stare Shikaku could do little to stop the Suna shinobi's glare. When Rasa gave the inevitable question of 'How' Shikaku had no problem with enlightening the shinobi across from him. "One of my better friends is pretty good at the art of Fuinjutsu and I asked them to help me seal some of my shadows into the seals on my ninja gear. What you saw was my _Kage Shomi_. My Shadow Net was only a distraction to capture you here. Now give up."

The crowd who was listening intently to the genius give his simple but wonderfully executed plan and were ready to start applauding, everything from the situation to the assertiveness in his voice said that he had the victory in hand. To the shock of everyone Rasa had started to laugh making Shikaku glare uneasily at his opponent, not quite getting the humor in this situation.

"You really are very clever Shikaku Nara but something like this won't be enough to stop me and my ambition. If I want to progress to where I need to be then I can't afford one stumble, not here or not anywhere else in the world." Rasa said with such conviction behind his 'ambition' that it brought worry to Shikaku and that's when the man from Konoha felt the ground behind him loosen and his body start to sink as the ground gave way to the pressure of his body standing on it.

"**Doton: Yomi Numa. (Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld.)**"The timing with which Rasa spoke of the technique that he used earlier in the fight was in perfect correspondence to the thoughts of the sinking Nara. The ground below him turned a murky brown as the ground quickly morphed into a thick swamp that was continuing to consume the Konoha shinobi. The descent into the 'Underworld' was swift to the point where Shikaku's hands were swallowed freeing Rasa from being held hostage thanks to his shadow. The auburn haired male watched on as Shikaku frantically searched for an escape, amusement hidden deep in his eyes.

The black haired Nara acted swiftly and used chakra to enhance his movements and with one large pulse Shikaku had freed himself up to his ankles, leaving only his feet snared in the swamp. Shikaku was ready to give one last leap that would give him the freedom he so desired but was stopped by a steady shout of from the lips of his opponent, who was holding the _Bird_ hand seal. **"Doton: Doryuso! (Earth Release: Earth Flow Spears!)"**

Shikaku's efforts at freedom were cut short when he saw a number of hardened, stone spears rise from the depths of the swamp. Some of these spears had been aimed at his throat; others were leveled to pierce his heart and stomach. There were even the deadly, earthen spears aimed at the arteries in his thighs leaving any number of places that could kill him should he choose the wrong path. Shikaku knew that the match was over; he saw no reason to fight and struggle. He had no wish of an early grave. "Proctor, I yield."

"Winner of the second match of Bracket One is Rasa Sabaku."

* * *

><p><em>In the Stands<em>

Amongst the clapping and adulation raining down from the crowd the Sensei of the losing shinobi couldn't help but sigh, the disappointment of the result clear in her voice. The jade eyes of Shay Kurama though gave off much pride for her student's wonderful performance. Seeing the looks of sadness lingering on the faces of her other two Genin Shay patted them on the shoulders getting them to see her beaming grin. "Now, now you two there is no reason to wear such long faces. Shikaku did a wonderful job and I am certain that Sandaime-sama will give him the promotion he deserves."

Under the encouraging words of their Sensei and the two nods from the other Hidden Leaf Jounin the expressions of Choza and Inoichi quickly changed to pride for what their friend had accomplished. To most it might seem impossible for someone so lazy to achieve so much but to them Shikaku was a truly splendid shinobi, one worthy of their respect. "Looks like we will have to call him Shikaku-Taichou soon huh Choza?" Inoichi said with a smirk earning him a hearty chuckle courtesy of the Akimichi heir who could just imagine Shikaku sitting next to them muttering a small 'troublesome' or 'troublesome blonde.'

Hiru rubbed at his beard having just put out the lung polluting stick of tobacco, watching Shikaku sluggishly shuffle towards the booth of contestants. Sighing a bit he gave the female Jounin an approving glance before reaching for another cigarette. "The kid did well; it was just too bad that he ran into the buzz saw from Suna. I would have loved to see what Shikaku could do against even latter opponents."

"I think it is quite the opposite Hiru. Shikaku-kun had the perfect showcase to show everyone what kind of shinobi he was, a shinobi of extreme intellect and planning, a skill that would be invaluable out on the battlefield. Every shinobi who has seen a large scale battle would be able to see this. Sadly exams such as these do not favor those like Shikaku-kun. One on one battles hardly ever do." Sakumo spoke seriously as if to pass down some piece of knowledge to the younger shinobi listening. Even if the Genin around listening didn't quite understand what they heard they were still nodding since it sounded good, it sounded right.

"My, my Sakumo-Ojisan, I never knew you to be the old Sage type. I knew that hair of yours was white and not that silver you say that it is!" Shay replied in an overly cheeky tone with a matching grin that brought a twitch to the world famous shinobi's eyebrow. The rest of the group turned back to the field seeing the next fight ready to commence and effectively ignored the mumblings of Sakumo and how he was not old.

* * *

><p><em>Combat Arena<em>

"Tell me sparkplug, are you ready to go against the son of the Tsuchikage? Maybe it would be for the best if you just gave up now and spared yourself the humiliation of losing on the worldwide stage." Kitsuchi said challengingly, arms crossed tightly over his chest, the teen from _Iwagakure_ looked at his fellow shinobi with nothing short of a sneer. Not because he disliked the man across from him but because this was a battle, a battle he needed to win. Normally he would frown upon having to use his father's name to prove himself but not now, he could use that title.

A scoff of confidence quickly erupted from between the parted lips of the shinobi from _Kaminari no Kuni_. He knew of his strength and he was damned near sure that his power and might would carry him throughout this competition all the way to glory. "That stone skull of yours must have seeped into your brain if you think that you can beat the son of the greatest Raikage in the history of Kumogakure. You will be crushed into nothing but powder!" Rei bellowed just as he watched two walls of mountain stone surround him, one in the front and the other in the back. Even though he could not see his opponent he was now very capable of hearing his shout.

"**Doton: Kairo o Tsubusu! (Earth Release: Crush Corridor!) **The two imposing walls of stone quickly started to slide towards the position that Rei took. A loud, painful rumbling of stone dragging on stone filled the air causing some civilians to cover their ears in an attempt to block out the terrible sound. Moments before the walls of erected stone could create a flattened Kumo shinobi there was the distinct sound of something smashing and a cloak of dust elevating into the sky around the wall. Kitsuchi frowned when he didn't feel the correct form of resistance against his jutsu, a failed jutsu.

When the blinding dust had settled back to the ground below the arena could see Rei once more only now Rei was completely encased in a volatile armor of lightning. Bolts of lightning shot off from his body at random but quickly lost form when not in contact with his body proving them to be no danger. Sections of the armor faded intermittently showing that this armor was not yet complete, or at least that's what the more experienced eyes of the crowd saw. And unfortunately Kitsuchi was not one of these pairs of eyes. "Is that the best you got?! If that is all then you are nothing more than a pebble waiting to be crushed!"

The depth in the voice of the lightning clad shinobi was even deeper giving the illusion of power that came from his **Raiton no Yoroi (Lightning Release Armor)**. Lightning fired around his body enhancing and sensitizing the synapses of the body causing the neural impulses of the body to go off rapidly increasing both reaction speed and his pure speed. It was indeed a fearsome technique that any capable Raiton user would love to posses in their arsenal. It was a technique that most would hide until the very right moment where it would guarantee a victory, guarantee their survival.

However, the tact of a shinobi such as Rei would deem him as a shinobi not capable of hiding his true strength. Instead he would use that strength so that those who knew of him knew that they stood below him in terms of capability and in his mind there was no man or woman his age standing above. This prideful state of mind did not mean that Rei was a poor shinobi. No, it meant that he was the kind of man to act instead of hiding behind words and loopholes, a shinobi of action and impulse that would be how one could describe Rei for now and sometime in the future.

The energy of the lightning chakra around the Raikage's son spiked out volatile in nature, pushing off of his back foot the son of the Sandaime Raikage closed the distance between he and the son of the Sandaime Tsuchikage in the blink of an eye that only those of Jounin class and above could follow, with a few exceptions. With his right arm hanging horizontally at his side and flexed under a cloak of lightning the Kumo Nin shouted out his Tai-Ninjutsu attack as it collided with the throat of Kitsuchi. **"Raiton no Yoroi: Rariatto! (Lighting Release Armor: Lariat!")**

The Tsuchikage who was naturally worried for the safety of his Son was ready to jump down onto the field when he saw Rei's forearm collided with Kitsuchi's throat but much to his immense relief the body of his son turned into mud signaling that it was nothing more than _Tsuchi Bunshin_. Rei on the other hand only showcased annoyance as he flailed his arm about to throw the mud from his arm. "Coward…" The blonde haired Kumo shinobi bit out while his eyes stalked the field for any sign of the _Iwagakure_ opposition. "Where the Hell is that coward?"

His rage and short-tempered bellow had easily reached far and beyond the field he was fighting on, a bellow that brought frowns to some of Iwa personnel that had made the trip to _Tetsu no Kuni_. Any more taunts were cut off when Rei's eyes expanded a bit seeing Kitsuchi rise into the air in front of him while he sunk into the ground like he was being drawn into the Underworld and at the same time he heard Kitsuchi's shout. **"Doton: Shinju Zanshu no Jutsu! (Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique!)"**

The only thing that Rei was able to manage was a cry of shock as he found himself being dragged down into the earth with only his neck and head left visible. Glaring up at the Iwa shinobi who was standing over him Rei grit his teeth in anger. Kitsuchi could care less about the glare he was being leveled with, a glare could not hurt him. Brandishing a kunai and pointing down at the face of Rei, Kitsuchi gave out his order. "Forfeit or die… I don't really care which one you choose." And that was true, if he hadn't killed someone already Kitsuchi might have been more uneasy about such a thing but luckily he had the pleasure of killing a few less than honorable bandits.

"Fuck… you!" Rei growled out while his muscles continued to thrash about under the ground but this was actually the earth of the planet and wasn't something that would break easily. The surprise of being dragged into the ground was enough for Rei to release his **Raiton no Yoroi (Lightning Release Armor)** thanks to a lack of concentration. Kitsuchi just nodded slowly and lowered his kunai down towards Rei's neck.

"I figured that would be your answer and it seems like the Proctor has not called the match but that isn't surprising since there isn't a rule against killing. You're fast but that won't help you when the crushing weight of the hearty earth comes bearing down on you." Kitsuchi moved his hand the rest of the distance and traced a thin line with the blade of his kunai. The action drew blood but before he could cross the jugular of the Kumo shinobi Rei screamed out.

"**Raiton no Yoroi: Ni Saji! (Lightning Release Armor: Second Surge!)"** In less time than it would take to blink Rei's _Lightning Release Armor_ screamed back into life only much more potent than before. Hair that was brushed back spiked up with the amount of power running through his body. The surge of power sent the electricity of his armor surging into the kunai and shocking Kitsuchi who stumbled back from the pain. The ground around him shattered as Rei burst through the ground in truly exceptionable speeds that only a few could read in the arena and with his freedom now at hand Rei delivered an upper cut to Kitsuchi's chin causing him to sail up into the air.

The _Ni Saji_ version of the Lightning Release Armor that only was known by Rei, not even his Father could replicate it. It involved converting his chakra to a completely lightning based energy similar to how the Sandaime Kazekage could magnetize things. However much like the armor itself it was not perfected, it took a lot of chakra and would leave him exhausted but he was sure that it would bring a victory.

Leaving only a few lingering trails of blue in his old spot Rei appeared above where Kitsuchi was traveling towards and looked ready to deliver more punishment. Rei gripped Kitsuchi's sides firmly and lifted him high over his head, mustering all the strength he could manage. **"Raiton no Yoroi: Raiga Bomu! (Lightning Release Armor: Liger Bomb!)" **Setting his legs straight out Rei and Kitsuchi went plummeting down into the earth with Kitsuchi head being aimed as the spear-point of the collision. The way that he was being aimed would mean a sure death for Kitsuchi on impact, head first.

Thankfully for Kitsuchi and those who cared for him Rei was not able to keep his _Lightning Release Armor_ any longer and the speed they were coming down at decreased greatly but still there was a great danger around the Taijutsu technique that would deliver a powerbomb down on Kitsuchi.

_Bang_

The sound with which the two shinobi hit the ground rang out around the arena as the collision knocked a cloud of dust and grime into the air which a gust of wind knocked towards one half of the stands getting cries of annoyance and disgust from the unfortunate crowd. When the dust did settle the crowd could see Rei on one knee panting with a light coating of sweet gleaming on his exposed skin and Kitsuchi lying unconscious in a small crater off to the side. It was over.

"Winner of the first match of Bracket Two is Rei!"

* * *

><p><em>Kage Booth<em>

"Yosh! I knew that Rei wouldn't disappoint me and lose so easily!" The Raikage said rather excitedly which was understandable considering that it was his son done there who had won down there. Much like Onoki he was ready to jump down and save the life of his son but he was proud to find out that such an action was not necessary. His boy was growing and if he kept growing he would make a wonderful Raikage that much Ay was certain of.

Onoki was… well he was a lot more dissatisfied with the result of the match that his son had partook in but he still found reason to be satisfied because his son was still alive despite being dropped on his head. Letting out a small sigh of relief that only Hiruzen who was sitting next to him heard, the Tsuchikage turned and looked at Ay with a very firm stare that was only a few notches away from being a glare. "I am just glad that my Son is still alive even through your bull head of a son's charge."

"Watch what you say _Fence Sitter_! Your son had almost killed Rei if you don't remember which would be enough for war, Chunin Exams or not!" Ay spat out in response, all joy and happiness from the victory of his son gone under the burden of being a Kage. Yes, in the Ninja World war could be started just like that be it even something others would seem mundane but something like the death of a Kage's family member was almost a guarantee for the two parties to find themselves at war with one and the other. It was clear than neither man was happy about the danger of the last battle and were ready to blame the other.

The Hokage and Kazekage said nothing at this point since neither village leader saw any need to interject themselves and by proxy their villages in such tense times where tensions were building due to the increase of border incidents between countries where many shinobi were assigned to the same job which led to battles but fortunately for the populace none of the Major Hidden Villages seemed ready to declare war. That did not mean that there wasn't a lack of unease in the higher ups of each village because there was and plenty of it. Everyone in the booth tensed slightly when they felt the Raikage and Tsuchikage's chakra levels rising.

Mifune sensing the danger that would break out if things continued as they were reached for his _Kurosawa_ and unsheathed it before anyone could notice as attention was lingering on the angry Kages. "You will stop this now Raikage, Tsuchikage! I will not allow you two to do as you please, Kages or not!" Mifune's curt voice cut the ears of the Kage gathered getting the two who were acting aggressively to pause and allow their chakras to fall back to a passive state. While Mifune was not officially a Kage he did posses Kage level strength and had an army of Samurai to back up his word while the Kages only had the few shinobi that made the trip to the Land of Iron.

Sensing that the disaster was diverted the Kazekage looked over to his peer from the Land of Fire with a small smile on his face. "It looks like it is one of mine against another of yours Hokage-dono. I do hope Baki-kun has as much success as his teammate did!" There was no hidden insult in Ri's words only genuine hope for his shinobi something the Professor of Shinobi was easily able to hear.

"I don't doubt that you do Kazekage-dono but Minato-kun is truly an exceptional young man that has only become even more wonderful of a shinobi under the tutelage of Jiraiya-kun! I have no doubt that Minato-kun will win this fight." Hiruzen praised the young blonde without hesitance while also letting the information of who trained the young Namikaze out. A tactic discussed between he and Jiraiya since any apprentice of one of the _Three Legendary Shinobi_ would be one to watch out for and Hiruzen was not disappointed when the eyes of each shinobi in the Kage Booth narrowed.

A good sign indeed…

* * *

><p><em>Combat Arena<em>

"The second match of Bracket Two will now begin! Minato Namikaze versus Baki, both fighters are ready… begin!"

Baki had got a warning from his Sensei the night before to watch out for his opponent and to not allow him the chance to get his momentum going or else things would snowball and Baki would be crushed. Now that was not something that inspired much confidence in Baki but it was enough to hammer the idea in that Minato was no small threat. A threat that Baki would hold in mind all throughout this fight and until the day that Minato would die, shaking his head and dispelling those thoughts a funnel of wind stretched from the veil wearing shinobi's palm.

The formless funnel of wind slowly started to become more defined, the tip of the tunnel became a blade of wind, and there was no handle just a visible condensation of wind confined to the shape of a deadly elemental sword. **"Kaze no Ken: Horu! (Wind Sword: Carve!)" **Slashing out diagonally and true to its name the attack carved a path towards the blonde Konoha shinobi who narrowed his eyes and in a feat of pure speed slid to the left in a direct shuffle.

Without a human body to take the brunt of the damage the wind based attack carved through a large boulder that was resting in front of the arena wall. Where a once sturdy body of stone was standing there was nothing but shredded pebbles left bouncing to a stop. Baki's one visible eye followed the path that Minato took to dodge his attack and spun his body while throwing the hand that his sword was coming out of in the same direction.

"**Kaze no Ken: Muchi! (Wind Sword: Whip!)" **Where the last attack was reaching high into the heavens above this whip stretched across the wide expanse of the ground and almost stretched from both ends of the arena showing just how gifted a wind user Baki really was. Luckily both the Proctor and Minato jumped over the wind whip and were able to avoid a demise via bifurcation, a truly gruesome end. Up in the air Minato narrowed his cool, blue eyes in annoyance. Gripping the standard shuriken and throwing the spinning stars he made sure to coat them with Wind chakra to bring cutting damage to its pinnacle.

The keen eyes of the _Sunagakure_ Wind manipulator were easily able to detect the thin coating of air around the black stairs and acted accordingly to protect himself. Letting go of the shape of his _Kaze no Ken_ Baki began to spin with dual air tunnels shooting out from his palms. Taking a deep breath the shinobi from _Kaze no Kuni_ started to spin and spin, consequently a twister of wind started to form around him. The crowd was left in shock as the twister then confined itself to the height of the stadium walls before chasing towards Minato who was left equally wide eyed at such an impressive jutsu.

"**Futon: Kazeninotte no Jutsu! (Wind Release: Riding the Winds Technique!)" **Baki shouted out as loudly as he could which was not very loudly considering the sound of the roaring winds and the stress of his own fatigue. Minato looked around and noticed that the manmade tornado had chased him back to the corner of the stadium where he had nowhere else to go. He was vaguely aware of Kushina's yell of concern, even facing down the force of a tornado he could still hear the girl he saved all those years ago and that was enough to make him smile. Closing his eyes there was still a smile on the face of the blonde Namikaze as the outer wall of the tornado swallowed up him. The tornado ground against the wall of the stadium getting the few at the front row to rear backwards in freight before the funnel of wind started to dissipate.

"Heh.. heh… it's over! Sorry Namikaze but the winds of the desert are way harsher than any kind of challenge in this competition." Baki spoke through his fatigued panting with his lone, visible eye half-lidded through exhaustion. The only person that had got through his technique with minor injuries was his teammate Rasa Sabaku and not a soul other than that. He looked to the Proctor for confirmation and seemed to be confused as to why he was looking behind him instead of out to the crowd to declare him the win.

In the space behind Baki a smaller funnel of wind appeared which eventually showed the unharmed frame of Minato Namikaze who was staring at the back of Baki's head with a frown on his face. "I will keep that in mind should I have to ever travel through the Land of Wind on a mission Baki-san." Minato whispered to his shocked opponent, his speed with the **Shunshin no Jutsu (Body Flicker Technique) **had saved him from being torn up and thrown out of a tornado. Crouching low Minato raced forth and delivered a forearm shiver into Baki's lower back sending him stumbling forward.

Disappearing in another **Shunshin no Jutsu** Minato appeared in front of Baki before he could even stumble into that position. Steadying himself on the ground by planting his palm in the dirt the blonde threw the sole of his foot upwards and kicked Baki straight under the chin using some chakra to take Baki off his feet. Baki could only groan and spit a mouthful of blood out. His body was too tired to move and try to defend himself from Minato's assault. In another **Shunshin no Jutsu** Minato stood there seemingly floating in the sky waiting. Once Baki hit the apex of his flight Minato lashed out with a devastating axe kick that sent Baki rocketing back to earth.

"Gah!" Baki cried out in agony when his chest hit the ground and his head followed suit being slammed into the ground due to the force called gravity. Blood dripping from the edges of his mouth Baki was given a few moments to pant and try to recover but that time was cut short when Minato came falling down and driving the point of his knee into Baki's lower back getting Baki to arch his head back and groan in pain. In an act of agility and speed Minato sprung to a standing base and delivered a kick that sent Baki's face back into the ground under the driving force of his foot. When his face hit the ground there was one last groan before Baki's body went limp under Minato's foot, unconscious.

"Winner of the second match of Bracket Two is Minato Namikaze! There will now be an hour intermission before the beginning of Bracket Three!" Urakaku called out his voice cutting through the praise and claps from the crowd.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hello guys MattMC3 here and clearly alive! Sorry I am so far removed from my last update! But I will explain with no excuses.<strong>

**1. My laptop was knocked off a table a few months ago and broke!**

**2. I was going to buy a laptop around Black Friday but I missed it.**

**3. I just recently bought one on the Fifth and started typing!**

**That being said I plan on abandoning Heavenly Lucifer and Dragon Caller because I lost the documents for those stories with the purchase of my new laptop and my Doc Manager on FanFiction is cleared on that. I won't be able to send any documents to people who may want them but if you want to take the idea and run with them please do.**

**For future story updates please check my new Profile Feature the Story Ledger for everything pertaining to my stories and their status.**

**Here is my new chapter and as such I wish to share my New Year's Resolution with my readers! I promise not to abandon those stories in my ledger. Please forgive this humble writer and have a nice night! Ja Ne -Matt**


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